Tropical Plant Guides~
Introduction
Until now, the only water lilies suitable for a garden pond were the hardy varieties, from our native N. Alba to those bred mainly by Marliac, such as N. Marliacea chromatella. If you were lucky enough to have a small pool in a conservatory, you might (if the temperature was kept over 50 degrees) be fortunate to experience one of the marvellous tropical lilies in their abundant glory. Most prized, of course, were the blue flowering tropical lilies (there is still no hardy blue lily). But unless you had your own miniature Kew Gardens, all you could do was dream.
Now this has all changed, due to Thermoplanter. Now the jewels of the Orient can be yours. From the warmer climes of Australia, Asia , Africa and America come stunning additions to any garden pond. Tropical water lilies are more delicate in appearance than the hardy varieties, are invariably scented and come in a profusion of colours. Furthermore, they flower prolifically, with sometimes up to seven blooms open at a time.
Tropical Lilies
Tropical lilies require a minimum of 150mm of water over the tuber. It is inadvisable to plant them too deeply, as they need the warmer water (near the surface) and extra light that shallow conditions achieve, so it is best to place your Thermoplanter in a depth of around (height of Thermoplanter + 250mm), although they will happily grow in any depth between 300 to 600 mm.
Tropical lilies are perfect for containers such as wooden barrels. Due to the warmer water temperature they often bloom far more prolifically so they make an ideal patio feature. Like hardy nymphaeas, however, they don’t like either strong moving water (which is always colder) or splashing from a fountain, so if you have a waterfall in your pond always place your tropical lily at the furthest point from any movement/spray.
Tropical lilies thrive in most soil conditions, but generally grow best in a neutral to slightly acid soil. They do require some fertiliser, preferably a slow-release type like Osmocote, which comes in plug form and can easily be pushed into the soil around the plant. They should ideally be fed twice in the growing season. Don’t use liquid types of fertiliser as this merely leaches into the water and will turn your pond green!
If you have your Thermoplanter in a tub or container, covering the tub with a transparent material such as Perspex during winter will help retain heat and avoid frost. It will also reduce the amount of electricity needed.
Day Blooming Lilies
You will be amazed by the colour variations available. Every hue and sheen is represented. From pale whites, through pinks, yellows, blues, reds, purples; any combination is possible to compliment your pond. Often with exotically patterned foliage, sometimes highly serrated, these lilies are the ultimate in “WOW” factor. A favourite of ours is N. Daubenyana, which has a creamy white centre and delicate lavender tips.
It is excellent for small to medium ponds and even containers and is very strongly scented. It tolerates some cold and even partial shade and is ideal for the British climate in a Thermoplanter.
Night Blooming Lilies
Definitely different, these marvellous plants have similarly stunning flowers to the day blooming varieties, but open early evening and close the following morning. Just think – the flowers are open as you go to work in the morning and open again when you get home – so you never have to miss out. Nymphaea Sturtevantii, for example, is a strongly scented deep pink variety, with large blooms up to 25cms across and is ideal for a medium sized pond.
Imagine sitting at dusk by your pond as these flowers slowly open and the scent wafts across the water on an evening breeze! One variety, as yet still almost impossible to buy, is the Victoria Amazonica, with leaves that can support a small child and huge, scented blooms.
Lotus (Nelumbos)
Native to the Orient, Asia and America, Nelumbos are fascinating plants with a interesting history. Often referred to as “Lotus” there is two distinct species. Nelumbo lucifera is the Asian Lotus, whilst Nelumbo lutea is the American species (which native American Indians harvested as a food source). It is mainly by hybridising these two varieties that modern Lotus’s have developed with a huge range of colours.
You can easily tell the difference between a Nymphaea (water lily) and a Nelumbo as the leaves of a Nelumbo are perfectly round, whilst a Nymphaea leaf has a notch which runs from the centre of the leaf to the outer edge.
Depending on variety, Nelumbos grow anything from 30cms above the water to an incredible 2 metres, with blooms ranging from the size of a tennis ball to the size of a football! They flower generally later than hardy water lilies, often between July and August, so are an ideal addition to your pond for that later colour. Lotus’s flowers last around 4 days per flower, opening often during the night and day at varying times. It is the lotus seed head (dried) that is a favourite of flower arrangers.
They are ideal for containers such as oak barrels, tubs etc as the roots can be quite invasive in a garden pond. Their leaves emerge way above the water, as do their stunning, multi-petalled blooms in a wide range of colours and hues from white through pinks, reds and violets. Our favourite is Momo Botan, which has rosy-pink petals tinged with yellow and is perfect for containers or a medium sized pond.
Tropical Aquatic Plants
These will change the way we think of water gardening in this country. From stunning architectural varieties such as Colocasias and Thalias to the beautiful flowers of Cannas, the opportunity to grow these wonderful tropical varieties outdoors in the UK has finally arrived. Now you can achieve that “ Kew Garden” look without the acres of glass needed or the expensive heating bills!
However these plants shouldn’t be considered out of place in the traditional water garden: they look marvellous alongside Rheums and Gunnera manicata and can merely be used to add that little extra colour, height and texture and a focal point for the eye.
One of our favourites is Cyperus papyrus. This is, in fact, the plant that the ancient Egyptians used to make their paper, or papyrus (from which the plant gets its name) although the Egyptians used every part of the plant to make anything from bowls to boats! Its flower is actually a seed head of umbrella-like strands and looks striking in any water garden and can grow to a height of 3 metres in perfect conditions.
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